Full Moon Rising: Red Rain
by Crowfeather's Dream
Summary: ShadowClan and WindClan, led by Russetstar and Ashstar, are persecuting all non Clanborn cats. Jayfeather, ThunderClan's medicine cat, is the only surviving descendant of Firestar and is the target of constant attack.
1. Prologue: Failed Prophecy

**_Prologue: Failed Prophecy_**

The quarter moon hung low in the sky, its dim glow shining down onto the forest below.

The unmoving body of a pale she-cat lay stretched out in the center of a clearing, her Clan gathered silently around her with their heads bowed.

"She was a good apprentice," one of them, a white she-cat, muttered.

"Hush, Whitewing," an old grey tom meowed. "Maplepaw's death was not you fault." Murmurs of agreement rose from the other cats, and a few of them pushed their noses into Whitewing's fur.

One of the queens, crouched at Maplepaw's side, let out a wail of sadness. The grey tom let out a distressed meow and went to her side.

"Honeywhisker," he muttered softly in her ear, pressed his head into her shoulder, "she will be taken care of in StarClan."

"Isn't it enough that StarClan have taken Lionpelt from me?" she whispered, turning her gaze to the grey tom. "Maplepaw was our only kit. Now I have nothing." Her voice became bitter.

The grey tom's eyes grew hard. "Don't say things like that. The Clan," he gestured around with a sweep of his tail, "will look after you." The queen met his gaze and nodded.

"Thank you, Graystripe." The elder inclined his head.

"Where is Bramblestar?" A grey and white tom stood up and stretched. "He should be here to deliver Maplepaw's body to StarClan."

"He's in his den." The answer came from a mottled grey tabby tom with sightless blue eyes, who stood on a ledge above them. "Berrytail is with him."

"Well, tell him to get down here!" the snappy retort came from an old dark brown tabby.

"Keep your fur on, Dustpelt," another cat hissed, just loud enough to be heard. The elder opened his mouth to snarl back, but the blind tom on the ledge lashed his tail irritably.

"Enough!" he growled. "I will tell Bramblestar you are waiting, but he will come down when he is ready, and not a moment before." He whipped around and slipped into a large break in the rock.

A large dark tabby was pacing restlessly in his den, while a cream-colored tom sat in shadow, watching him without saying anything.

The tabby lifted his head and say the grey tom walk in. "Jayfeather," he growled, flicking his ear. "How could this happen?"

"I don't know, Bramblestar," the ThunderClan medicine cat sighed.

"Maplepaw was StarClan's chosen cat!" the leader hissed, his fur bristling. "StarClan told us! Well, they told you, anyways." He flashed Jayfeather a resentful glance.

"StarClan didn't exactly say she was StarClan's chosen cat," the cream tom murmured. "Her fur color matched what was in the prophecy, though."

"Yes, and Maplepaw is the only cat in the Clan with such fur. Or she was, anyways," Bramblestar grunted.

"You're being unfair to her," Jayfeather snapped. "Maplepaw was only an apprentice, but would you listen to me when I pointed that out?"

"When I journeyed to the sun-drown place with the other chosen cats, Crowfeather was only an apprentice," the tabby argued back, but his voice was lacking in spirit.

The other tom stepped forward. "Yes, but Maplepaw wasn't Crowfeather," he meowed quietly. "We were all wrong to think an apprentice could do this. Just because an apprentice has made a difficult journey before doesn't mean every apprentice can."

Bramblestar relaxed. "I'm sorry, Berrytail, Jayfeather," he sighed. "I just thought—"

"That StarClan would have had everything thought out for you." Berrytail butted his former mentor's shoulder affectionately. "Don't worry about it. Every cat makes mistakes." He gestured to his half-tail.

"The Clan is waiting for you to send Maplepaw's spirit to StarClan," Jayfeather meowed quietly.

Brambleclaw sighed heavily and straightened up, lifting his chin. "Then let's not keep them waiting any longer. I imagine Dustpelt's been complaining enough for the whole Clan."

* * *

**The Prophecy will be revealed in the chapter after the next one, if all goes well. This isn't gong to be a long story, just something that will keep my mind occupied this summer. Please Read and Review. Flames will be read by me, but I won't respond to them, so don't waste your time and mine, because I'll just laugh at what you wrote.**


	2. Allegiances & Full Summary

**Allegiances are a pain in the butt to do. This one took longer than usual, because I had to sit my lazy butt down and actually think about who would be dead, who would be an elder, blah blah. I butchered most of it, but tried my best. :P**

**Here's the full summary:**

Though cats of other Clans tried to ignore it while Firestar was alive, they were not pleased with him bringing in so many non-Clanborn cats to the forest. But once the great leader died, Russetstar of ShadowClan and Ashstar of WindClan began to openly voice their doubts. The doubts turned into fights, in which the ultimate result was death. Cats with "impure blood" are now being hunted mercilessly by the Clan of the marshes and the Clan of the moorland. Within the moon, Bramblestar finds himself allies with the gentle Mistystar, resulting in a rare ThunderClan and RiverClan alliance. Meanwhile, Jayfeather, ThunderClan's bad-tempered medicine cat, is the only remaining direct descendant of Firestar. The rest have been swept away by a series of "accidents".

ThunderClan finds themselves under almost constant attack now, with every cat afraid to leave the camp, in fear of never returning. In the midst of such terror, Ravenpaw, a sleek black she-cat apprentice, finds herself growing tired of being threatened non-stop. She decides that if the Clan doesn't take action now, it will be too late. Planning an uprise can't be that hard.

Can it?

_**

* * *

**_

_**Allegiances**_

**ThunderClan**

Leader: Bramblestar - Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy: Berrytail - Cream-colored tom

Medicine Cat: Jayfeather - Mottled gray tabby tom with sky-blue eyes

Warriors

Cinderfoot - Fluffy gray she-cat  
_Apprentice - Sparrowpaw_

Honeywhisker - Pale golden-brown tabby she-cat

Foxtail – Handsome auburn tom  
_Apprentice - Ravenpaw_

Iceflower – Pure white she-cat with yellow eyes

Birchfall - Light brown tabby tom  
_Apprentice - Silverpaw_

Spiderleg – Black and brown tom with long legs

Poppyheart - Tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

Whitewing - White she-cat with green eyes

Apprentices

Silverpaw – Pale silver tom with handsome black markings

Ravenpaw – Jet black she-cat with bright yellow eyes

Sparrowpaw – Dark ginger tom with pale green eyes

Queens

Hazelfeather - Small she-cat with gray and white fur

Elders

Graystripe – Amber-eyed tom with long grey fur streaked with white

Dustpelt - Dark brown tabby tom

Longtail - Pale brown tabby tom with dark stripes and blue eyes

**ShadowClan**

Leader: Russetstar - Dark ginger she-cat

Deputy: Owltalon – Aggressive brown tabby tom  
_Apprentice - Coldpaw_

Medicine Cat: Applebranch – Light brown she-cat with green eyes

Warriors

Smokefoot - Black tom with elmerald eyes

Ivytail - Brown tabby she-cat  
_Apprentice - Tangledpaw_

Marshfoot – Dark grey tom with bright blue eyes

Toadclaw – Dark grey tom with pale green eyes

Nightwing – Black she-cat with amber eyes

Tawnypelt - Tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Oakleaf – Brown tabby tom with green eyes

Rowanclaw – Dark ginger tom with yellow eyes

Queens

Darkcloud – Grey she-cat with orange eyes

Elders

Littlecloud - Very small brown tabby tom

**RiverClan**

Leader: Mistystar - Blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes  
_Apprentice - Soarpaw_

Deputy: Pebbleclaw - Gray tom with green eyes

Medicine Cat: Willowheart - Small, slender dark gray she-cat

Warriors

Beechfoot – Pale brown tom with yellow eyes

Whitelily – White she-cat with green eyes

Pinefur – Brown tom with orange eyes

Coalpelt – Light grey tom with yellow eyes  
_Apprentice – Sleetpaw_

Blackfur – Jet-black tom with green eyes

Floodpelt – Pale ginger she-cat with green eyes  
_Apprentice – Thrashpaw_

Stormfur - Solid dark gray tom with amber eyes

Queens

Cloudchaser – Pale grey, almost white, she-cat with sky-blue eyes

Littlebrook - Brown tabby she-cat with gray eyes, formerly known as Brook Where Small Fish Swim

Elders

Blackclaw – Black tom with dark blue eyes

**WindClan**

Leader: Ashstar - Gray she-cat with blue eyes

Deputy: Weaselfur – Ginger tom with white paws

Medicine Cat: Kestrelflight – Red-brown tom with black markings

Warriors

Breezefur – Large black tom with amber eyes

Crowfeather - Dark gray tom with amber eyes  
_Apprentice - Swiftpaw_

Nightcloud - Black she-cat with orange eyes

Owlwhisker – Light brown tabby tom

Heatherheart - Beautiful light brown tabby she-cat  
_Apprentice - Rabbitpaw_

Buzzardwing – Black tom with a white face

Sedgeclaw – Pale tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Elders

Gorsetail – Black and white tom with green eyes


	3. Chapter One

Here's Chapter One! Thanks to all of my reviewers!

Disclaimer: All things Warriors fans can recognize belong to Erin Hunter. The plotline and original characters belong to me, Reddeh.

* * *

Birdsong echoed through the red and gold trees as the hot leaf-fall sun beat down on the forest. A sparrow hopped down onto he ground and began to tug on a worm that was half-buried in the dirt. Suddenly, it dropped the worm was a shrill alarm cry and burst into flight.

A black she-cat sprang after it and missed it by a long shot. She sank to the ground, resisting the urge to scream with frustration. Giving voice to her irritation would only result in scaring away the rest of the prey in the forest. She instead scratched at the ground, imagining it was a fat mouse just begging her to kill it.

"Ravenpaw, what are you doing?" a deep voice rumbled behind her.

Ravenpaw scrabbled to her paws as a dark red tom stepped out from behind a bramble thicket. He was staring at her with disappointment in his yellow eyes, and Ravenpaw flattened her ears and lowered her head, suddenly ashamed of herself.

"Well?" She looked up to see that he was still staring at her, and felt her fur bristle uncomfortably. The apprentice disliked being stared at, even if it was one of the Clan's smallest kits who was doing the staring.

"I…I don't know, Foxtail," she muttered, shifting slightly.

Foxtail snorted. "Digging in the ground is for kits," he scoffed, waving a paw at her. "Perhaps you would like to go back to the nursery?"

"No!" Ravenpaw hissed angrily, lashing her tail. _He can't do that can he?_

Her mentor's eyes softened a little. "I didn't think so. Now here's your problem." He sauntered over to her side and crouched down, indicating her to do the same.

"You're hunter's crouch is almost perfect, but you're still too low to the ground," he meowed, after studying her for a while. "A cat cannot spring after prey when she is practically lying down."

"Sorry," Ravenpaw murmured.

"Don't say sorry," Foxtail growled sternly. "Fix it." Ravenpaw raised herself off the ground a few kitten-steps. "Much better. Now, show me your stalking technique."

Ravenpaw moved swiftly forward, pleased at how her body crept over the twigs and leaves that littered the ground, silent as a shadow.

"Stop," Foxtail meowed. "You're _still_ breathing too hard, and that's what lost you that bird in the first place."

Ravenpaw flinched.

The tom waved his bushy tail, and the black she-cat bounded back to him. "You need to ease your breathing," he growled. "If you tried hunting a rabbit like that, he would be able to here you a fox-length away! Now, here's how you do it…"

_**o0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0o**_

Ravenpaw returned to camp, Foxtail right behind her, tired but pleased with herself. She could tell Foxtail was pleased with her too. After he had shown her how to stalk prey correctly, she tried it and, after only a couple failures, she caught a squirrel almost as big as she was. Foxtail was carrying it because it had been too heavy for her to pick up.

A dark ginger apprentice, Sparrowpaw, bounded up to them. He was Foxtail's only son. "Wow, father!" he gasped, his amber eyes shining. "How did you manage to catch that?"

Foxtail narrowed his eyes and dropped the squirrel onto the fresh-kill pile. "I didn't catch it. Ravenpaw did."

Sparrowpaw gave Ravenpaw a look of disbelief. "Yeah, right. I heard Spiderleg complaining the other day after he took her out hunting." He pulled a face and began to imitate the senior warrior's high-pitched voice. "That little apprentice is your average fighter, but she can't hunt worth mouse-dung!"

Ravenpaw shrank back, crushed. Sparrowpaw's behavior didn't surprise her – he went out of his way to put her down her since she was the youngest apprentice. But Spiderleg was a respected warrior within the Clan, and if he had been going around telling everyone what a terrible hunter she was, they probably believed him without questioning it. No wonder Silverpaw, the other apprentice, had politely turned her down when she had offered to go hunting with him the previous morning.

Foxtail swiped at his son with a sheathed paw and caught him in the side of the head, which sent the apprentice tumbling. Sparrowpaw leapt up to his paws, glaring at his father angrily. But as Foxtail met his gaze with equal anger, he backed down and looked away.

The auburn tom looked between the two apprentices, his eye hard. "I don't want to hear another word out of either of you," he meowed. His voice turned cool. "Cinderfoot was talking to me about your behavior during training sessions, Sparrowpaw." He stared down at his son. "She has told me that you often do not pay attention to what she says, and you are rude to her when she rebukes you."

Sparrowpaw's eyes grew angry again. "That crippled she-cat can't teach me anything!" he spat.

Ravenpaw's fur bristled. Cinderfoot was Silverpaw's mother. Even though she had been hurt when Silverpaw had not wanted to go hunting with her, he was still her den-mate, and they were close friends.

"It's not her fault that she fell out of a tree when she was an apprentice," Ravenpaw snarled, her hackles rising.

"Enough!" Foxtail was truly angry now, his fur fluffed out and his tail whipping through the air behind him. "You will go see to the elders now, both of you! Check their pelt for ticks and clean out their bedding. And don't stop until I tell you to!" He whirled around and stalked away.

Sparrowpaw had glared after his father until he vanished out the camp entrance, but now he bowed his head and let his shoulders droop.

Ravenpaw felt a rare flash of sympathy for the apprentice. She reached out to him with her paw and brushed it against his shoulder. As if he had been struck by lightning, Sparrowpaw sprang away, claws unsheathed and his eyes glaring with anger. Ravenpaw blinked.

"Get away from me," he snapped coldly, spinning around. "I'll clean the elders for ticks, and you can get clean moss. Just make sure you start when _I'm_ done." He started to head for Jayfeather's den.

"Fine with me," Sparrowpaw snarled at Sparrowpaw's back.

_Great,_ she thought angrily, _of all the cats to get stuck with, it had to be Sparrowpaw!_ Her heart ached at his rejection of her sympathy despite her furious thoughts. Ravenpaw didn't like being hated by any cat in the Clan, and even though she wouldn't go out of her way to please Sparrowpaw, she would prefer that he would just accept her friendship.

* * *

Just so you know they don't -hate- each other as much as you think. And now, a response to Flamespirit's question:

Their parents are:  
Silverpaw Cinderfoot and Spiderleg (Bleh, I know)  
Sparrowpaw Foxtail and Poppyheart  
Ravenpaw Hazelfeather and Birchfall

And I haven't read The Sight, so I didn't know Beechpaw's warrior name. I rely on WikiPedia to give me information about The Sight characters. As for the Tawnypelt and Crowfeather loyalty thing...you'll see.


	4. Chapter Two

Thank you to all of my reviewers! Flamespirit - Yeah, I agree, White x Birch is better, but I'm a master of the unexpected xD. I didn't want this to turn out like your typical fanfic.

Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to Erin Hunter and her gang. The plot and Original Characters belong to me, the insane ruler of the universe. Ha ha ha ha. Ha.

**_Edit//: O.o Gosh darnit, Flamespirit, you were right. I meant to say Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight. I must not have been paying attention to what I was writing. -.-;; I am jealous of the way you can spot things out. Thanks for the help! -Reddy_**

**Chapter Two:**

* * *

Ravenpaw waited patiently outside the elders den, a large pile of soft, dry moss sitting next to her. Sparrowpaw was still inside the den, looking through Graystipe's fur for ticks. Ravenpaw felt slightly sorry for him; Graystripe had a thick pelt, and it was probably taking him forever to look through it. She had already gone inside to try and help him once, and he hadn't responded kindly to her act. So she had left the den to sit outside. If he didn't want her help, she wasn't going to waste her time trying to force him to take it. 

A light brown tabby tom walked by and cast Ravenpaw an amused glance. "Gotten yourself into trouble, have you?"

"Yeah," Ravenpaw sighed. The tom laughed and gave her ear and affectionate lick. "It must run in the family." Ravenpaw shrugged him away playfully as another warrior called his name.

"Birchfall! You're needed for a patrol! And Bramblestar wants you to go to the Gathering tonight." The cat in question was a pure white she-cat with yellow eyes.

"Coming, Iceflower!" Birchfall meowed. He flipped his tail across Ravenpaw's mouth and walked away. "See you tonight, probably," he called over his shoulder.

But Ravenpaw's heart was sinking. _The Gathering! _She thought in dismay. Foxtail was a kind cat but also stern mentor, and would have probably requested to Bramblestar that Ravenpaw and Sparrowpaw stay in the camp tonight for arguing. She sighed and let her head hang.

"Ravenpaw."

She looked up to see her leader walking over to her, the afternoon sun bouncing off his pelt. Powerful muscles rippled under the infamous dark tabby fur, and his amber eyes glowed.

Yes, Bramblestar?" She flattened her ears and braced herself for a lecture.

Instead, the tabby sat next to her. "Where is Sparrowpaw?" he asked. Ravenpaw strained to hear disappointment or irritation in his voice, but could only hear genuine curiosity. She nodded to the elders den.

"Inside."

"Good. And I see you have collected moss to bring in. But why aren't you doing it now?"

Ravenpaw hunched her shoulders. "We both thought it was best to not be near each other for a while," she muttered. It was half true, at least; they hadn't agreed, but they both knew that being in a cramped space together would bring about tension, which would probably irritate the elders.

Bramblestar narrowed his eyes, and Ravenpaw feared he was going to tell her to go inside and get the job done. However, he surprised her yet again.

"Foxtail told me you caught an impressively large squirrel today," he meowed. Ravenpaw ducked her head in embarrassment. Bramblestar swept on, ignoring her reaction to his comment.

"As for the Gathering tonight, I am willing to overlook the argument you and Sparrowpaw got into because of the fact you aren't trying to start another one." His eyes softened, and he muttered his next words so quietly, Ravenpaw was unsure if they were meant for her to hear. "StarClan knows how many arguments Squirrelflight and I would get into."

Ravenpaw felt a jolt of sympathy run through her body. Squirrelflight had died during a ShadowClan raid shortly after Bramblestar had gotten his nine lives and ShadowClan and WindClan had declared open hostility towards those with kittypet blood in their veins. Bramblestar had died alongside Squirrelflight but she, unlike her mate, was not able to come back to life.

The uneasy moment was broken when Sparrowpaw stalked out of the elders den, carrying a stick with a foul-smelling wad of moss at the opposite end. Ravenpaw wrinkled her nose. Mouse-bile.

The ginger apprentice nodded to Bramblestar and then caught Ravenpaw's eye. He jerked his head towards the den and brushed past, indicating that she could go in.

_At last_, Ravenpaw thought inwardly. She said goodbye to Bramblestar and stepped in the den, wanting to clean out the dirty bedding before bringing in the clean moss. The difference between the bright afternoon and the dark elders den forced her to blink several times, adjusting her sight to the gloom.

The first thing she saw was Longtail and Dustpelt curled up at the back of the den, their breathing deep and peaceful. Next to them, she saw a disembodied pair of amber eyes floating in midair, watching her. As she edged closer, however, Ravenpaw saw the friendly gray face and fluffy grey body come into view.

"Hello there, Ravenpaw," Graystripe meowed in a rasping, yet friendly, voice. "You're friend was just in here a few minutes ago."

"Friend isn't exactly what I'd call him," Ravenpaw muttered, scraping the dirty moss into a pile near the den entrance. "He's more of an acquaintance, actually."

Graystripe's white whiskers twitched in the darkness. "Ahh, don't worry about that. When Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight first met, they quarreled every second. Come to think of it, Firestar and Sandstorm did too. And look what they became." His eyes glowed.

Ravenpaw shuddered. "Are you saying Sparrowpaw likes me?" she asked, amused. "If he does, he doesn't act like it." Graystripe said nothing, and Ravenpaw collected the rest of the dirty bedding and carried it out of the den in silence.

When she returned with the clean moss, Longtail and Dustpelt were both awake. She nodded to them in greeting and dropped the clean moss on the ground. With one paw, she began to nudge it around, distributing it evenly across the cold earth. With grateful purrs, the elders settled onto it, lying down close to one another.

Ravenpaw sighed and sat down. Graystripe watched her curiously. The she-cat looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Graystripe," she began uncertainly, "can I ask you something?" The grey tom nodded.

"I was wondering…they say Leafpool was murdered." Graystripe stiffened, but Ravenpaw swept on. "How was she murdered if she was a medicine cat?"

The elder sighed and closed his eyes. Ravenpaw felt guilty for asking him. _Remembering Leafpool must be terrible for him, _she thought sadly.

"It was on one of her journeys to the Moonpool during the half-moon," he began quietly, his head on his paws and his eyes still firmly shut. "As you probably know very well, the Clans must cross WindClan territory in order to reach the Moonpool."

Ravenpaw nodded. "Yeah."

Graystripe raked his claws, old but still sharp, across the moss beneath his paws, tearing it to shreds. "Leafpool and Littlecloud met Kestrelflight and Mothwing on WindClan territory that night. They only made it half-way. An ambush was sprung; lead by Ashstar herself and a few of her senior warriors." He lashed his tail furiously. "Leafpool was taught how to fight as an apprentice by Cinderpelt, but the techniques were mostly for skirmishes or a border fight, not a fight to the death."

Ravenpaw narrowed her eyes. "How could the other medicine cats agree to this?" she spat heatedly. "Their loyalty is supposed to be to StarClan, not to their mangy, code-breaking leaders."

Graystripe curled his lip. "I never said the others agreed to do it. At his first Gathering, which, incidentally, was the Gathering after the ambush, as medicine cat, Jayfeather walked right up to Kestrelflight and nearly spat in his face. He would have, too, if Kestrelflight hadn't been quick to say he had known nothing about the attack."

"And then there was ShadowClan's new medicine cat to consider. Littlecloud was old, but he was a perfectly healthy cat otherwise. At that very same Gathering, Applebranch showed up." He paused, watching Ravenpaw with his head tilted to one side. "Don't you find it odd how a perfectly healthy cat dropped dead so soon after the attack? Only a half-moon passed between that night and the night of the Gathering."

"So what are you saying, exactly?" Ravenpaw asked, leaning forward slightly. She had an idea already, but didn't want to jump to conclusions and make a fool of herself in front of the most respected cat in the Clan, other than Bramblestar.

Graystripe flattened his ears, and the hair on his spine started to stand up. "Littlecloud didn't just die. He was murdered for disagreeing with Russetstar."

* * *

**_Oh no. I just realized that I'm putting my favourite Clan, ShadowClan, in a bad light. -sighs-. When Erin Hunter uses ShadowClan for all of her evil schemes (excluding Hawkfrost), it drives me nuts! I'm such a hypocrite. I love Russetstar. She's such an awesome cat in the books. Yes, kill me if you wish. The Gathering is next chapter, along with an interesting assassination..._**

**_The Lover of Reviews (so review, gosh darnit!) - Reddy_**


	5. Chapter 3

Yay! New chapter! Since it's been, like, a week, I made this one 2500 words long! That's six pages in MicroSoft Word! Well, in truth, I couldn't find a right place to stop, so I kept on typing until I found one.

* * *

The sun was starting to set behind the mountains. Even though Jayfeather was blind, he could sense the coming twilight. He could tell time by paying attention to everything around him, even though he couldn't see. Mornings were cool and damp, with birds singing all around the camp. Sun-high with hot, with little shadow to take cover in. And at dusk, the air was cooler, but the ground was warm from the sun. 

The medicine cat was sitting next to the elders den, listening to Graystripe talking to Ravenpaw. Okay, he wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but with his sharp ears, he couldn't help but overhear.

_You could move to another place,_ a cool voice whispered in the back of his head. The tom shook his head irritably as if trying to get rid of a pesky flea that was intent on biting his nose. He then stiffened as he heard Leafpool's name being mentioned. He could tell by the way Graystripe's voice was heavy with grief that he was telling Ravenpaw about the late medicine cat's death.

_How dare he tell an apprentice about things that do not concern her? _He thought furiously. Leafpool had been his mentor, and though he had always treated her a bit roughly, he would fight to the death for her. He was never quite sure why. He hadn't loved her, no. It was a different kind of feeling. Like the feeling of loyalty between a warrior and his leader, except much stronger. Besides, even if he had had different sort of feelings for her, one, he was a medicine cat, which said enough. Two, Leafpool was a medicine cat. And three, she had already been through a terrible ordeal with her infatuation with that scrawny Crowfeather from WindClan.

"Hello, Jayfeather."

He swung his head around, angling his ears towards where Ravenpaw was stepping out of the elders den. His suspicions had been correct; by reaching out with his mind to lightly brush with hers, he could sense her unhappiness and grief. He resisted reaching out to her with a paw, instead glaring at where he believed her to be.

"Ravenpaw. You seem…distressed," he meowed softly.

"It's nothing, trust me." Jayfeather could almost see the apprentice twitching her whiskers in a half-hearted attempt to look cheerful, and just barely held back a snort of contempt. Confusion from Ravenpaw's mind crashed over him like a wave, but he ignored it. If she was going to be clueless about this, then so be it. He stood up and walked away without another word.

_**o0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0o**_

Ravenpaw walked silently behind Foxtail as they trekked across WindClan territory. The journey to the island, as it had been for the past few seasons, was tense. Jayfeather walked in the center of the group; the queens, apprentices, and elders were all surrounded by warriors. Bramblestar stalked proudly at the head of the group, his head held high. Ravenpaw felt a jolt of admiration for her leader's courage while on enemy territory; he sure wasn't going to let WindClan think they had struck fear into his Clan.

Suddenly, Ravenpaw heard a hostile voice snarl, "WindClan!" She thought she recognized Jayfeather's cold meow, but wasn't sure. She whipped around to see Ashstar and her warriors following ThunderClan by a few fox-lengths.

The she-cat laughed coolly. "As usual, a blind medicine cat beats the rest of ThunderClan to sniffing out intruders." The warriors behind her snarled and hissed in agreement. Except for one smoky gray tom. Ravenpaw craned her neck and recognized Crowfeather. The dark warrior was moving his mouth, but no sound came from it. His blue eyes caught hers for a half-second before he glanced away quickly.

"Ashstar," Bramblestar meowed, matching her sneering tone with ease. "Please do not use the full moon as an advantage to mock ThunderClan. There is a truce tonight."

"Unfortunately," Ravenpaw heard a WindClan cat growl, loud enough for every cat to hear. "We'd get rid of every last kittypet in that mangy Clan if there wasn't."

"And that old fleabag, Graystripe, too!" Another spat. "First he took a RiverClan cat as a mate, and then he chose a kittypet. His loyalties obviously lay outside of any of the Clans." Ravenpaw stiffened and unlocked her claws. Foxtail, still in front of her, lashed his tail across her mouth in warning, though the black apprentice could see that he had unsheathed his claws as well.

"Settle down, settle down," Ashfur purred, her voice smooth as ice in leaf-bare. "We must respect the other Clans, no matter how mixed they are." She stalked forward to overtake Bramblestar, who in turn increased his pace to match hers.

An apprehensive quiet settled over the two Clans as they stalked to the island. Ravenpaw could make out the silhouettes of cats walking across the tree-bridge. She waved her tail in excitement as she ran, forgetting the hostility that surrounded her on all sides in anticipation for the Gathering. She didn't notice Foxtail running beside her until he spoke in his deep tones.

"Jayfeather insists on crossing the tree-bridge last, as is custom for medicine cats," he was saying. Ravenpaw tilted her head over to him.

"I'm listening," she meowed.

"I want you to cross behind him. Just…stumble over something before we get there and tell him he'll never get across if he follows you." He glanced over his shoulder at a few WindClan warriors, who were watching them with guarded suspicion. "I'll bet my next piece of fresh-kill that Ashstar will want to cross after us, if only to make an attempt on Jayfeather's life."

The fur on Ravenpaw's spine began to bristle angrily as she thought of anyone killing the ThunderClan medicine cat. Sure, he was grumpy, but he was loyal to his Clan, and that was all that mattered. "You can count on me," she hissed softly. Foxtail held her gaze for a few heartbeats, and then nodded. Ravenpaw glanced up. They were mere tail-lengths from the bridge. The last of ShadowClan were crossing, and RiverClan waited patiently for them, Mistystar crouching near the beginning of the bridge.

"ThunderClan may cross before us," Ashstar meowed, dipping her head graciously to Bramblestar as they began to slow down. Foxtail turned his head to stare back at Ravenpaw, who took a deep breath, and forced herself to topple over a bush.

WindClan laughed and raced past her. Foxtail waved his tail for the rest of ThunderClan to go on, and he circled back to stand in front of his apprentice.

Ravenpaw picked herself up and shook her fur out. She tested her paw and, to her surprise, pain shot up her foreleg, and she winced. She hadn't meant to actually hurt herself.

"I think I did my job a bit too well," she muttered. Foxtail's whiskers twitched, and he flicked his tail across her mouth.

"At least it'll be believable. Come on." He whirled about and raced forward. Ravenpaw followed him, cringing a bit every time her sore paw hit the ground. She skidded to a halt in time to see Mistystar telling Bramblestar that RiverClan would cross last. She was casting mistrusting glances to WindClan as she spoke. Bramblestar shrugged and hopped onto the tree, crossing confidently with his head held high. ThunderClan followed him slowly.

Weaving through the familiar cats, Ravenpaw approached her medicine cat, trying to look casual. She limped a little heavier than needed, but didn't overdo it. Jayfeather watched her with his clouded blue eyes, angling his ears to where she was.

"Hello, Jayfeather," Ravenpaw meowed, her steady voice surprising her. The tom flicked one of his ears. Ravenpaw scuffed her good paw on the ground nervously, not noticing Jayfeather's eyes as they narrowed coldly. "Um, I twisted my paw back there, and was wondering if you wanted to cross before me. You'd get there faster," she added.

Jayfeather heaved an exasperated sigh. "Whatever makes Bramblestar happy," he snarled, and turned away from her. Ravenpaw flinched. Had she really been that obvious? She shrugged it off. What mattered was that Jayfeather was crossing in fronts of her, which was what she and her mentor had been aiming for anyways.

As Jayfeather hauled himself up after Birchfall, Ravenpaw placed a paw on the roots of the tree, preparing to scrabble up after him. She tensed her muscles and was ready to leap, but an unfamiliar voice calling her name caught her attention. She spun around to glare at a group of WindClan apprentices. One of them was sneering at her. She didn't notice Ashstar creep up onto the tree behind her.

"What do you want?" she spat coldly at the young WindClan cats.

"What are you talking about?" a tom snarled at her.

"Yeah!" another added. "We only consort with _true_ Clan cats, not some scraggly bunch of rogues who call themselves a Clan."

Ravenpaw bristled furiously, and was prepared to launch herself down onto the apprentices to give them a piece of her mind, but a terrified and shocked shout made her glance up. There was a splash.

The first thing she saw was Ashstar, staring down into the water with triumph glaring in her eyes like hot flames. Her stomach clenched in horror. _I let Ashstar pass._ Letting her gaze fall to the water below the WindClan leader's paws, her blood turned to ice, and she struggled for breath as she watched a mottled grey head disappear below the surface.

_**o0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0o**_

Jayfeather stalked angrily across the tree-bridge, lashing his tail. Who did Bramblestar think he was, ordering some nosy apprentice to follow him across? He distinctly heard a WindClan tom call Ravenpaw's name, and relaxed. Perhaps the cat could keep her preoccupied long enough for him to cross in peace.

Suddenly, heavier, quicker pawsteps entered his range of hearing. He spun around and felt his muzzle brush against a lithe flank. He inhaled sharply and bristled. Ashstar!

"What are you-" he broke off as he felt the she-cat pushed him to the side with a lean but strong paw. He felt his paws slip on the smooth bark of the tree, and he struggled to keep his balance. But before he could right himself, he felt Ashstar's paw slide underneath his, knocking him completely off his paws. He expected his back to hit the hard tree, but instead he fell through open air, and hit the water with a crash.

Instantly, everything became darker than usual. He couldn't use his ears or nose to get himself out of this. He didn't know where to swim. He couldn't tell which way was up or down. He thrashed wildly, his head growing lighter. His lungs felt like they were about to explode.

Just as he was giving up, a pair of strong jaws fastened around his scruff. Instinctively, he went limp. He felt strong paws churning the water by his head, and guessed that it was a RiverClan warrior who had saved him.

As they broke the surface, his senses opened up again. He breathed in deeply and stiffened in shock. His rescuer wasn't just any RiverClan warrior; it was Mistystar herself. He could smell her scent underneath the water that plastered their pelts to their skin.

The RiverClan leader dragged him up onto the shore, and he lay where she dropped him, coughing up the muddy lake water. A breeze made him shiver as he heard pawsteps running up to where he rested.

He recognized Berrytail's familiar scent, and the ThunderClan deputy pushed Jayfeather gentle to his paws.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, letting the medicine cat lean on his shoulder.

"Yes," Jayfeather murmured.

All of a sudden, a loud snarling broke out. The grey tom raised his head and sniffed the air. ThunderClan were crossing the tree-bridge! They were coming back to the mainland! Jayfeather's fur prickled as he heard Bramblestar's familiar voice. It was raised in a furious howl.

"Ashstar!" he was saying. "I cannot believe you would try to take the life of the ThunderClan medicine cat! On the night of the Gathering, no less!" ThunderClan broke in with loud hissing. Jayfeather stiffened when Mistystar and her Clan joined in, too, their voices laced with anger.

Then, a terrified wailing broke out from one of the cats.

"Clouds are covering the moon!"

"StarClan is angry!"

"Perhaps StarClan agree with me, Bramblestar," a voice called out above the rest. It was Ashstar. "I have told you time and time again that kittypets do not belong in the Clans. However, perhaps ThunderClan is so mixed that none of you can remember who is kittypet and who is warrior." WindClan and ShadowClan, who had crossed back over the bridge, hissed in agreement.

"And I have told you time and time again that blood does not matter." Bramblestar retorted. "My father was a cat who almost destroyed the forest! Does anyone think less of me because of that?" He lashed his tail. "It doesn't matter how a cat was born. What matters is their actions. The cats I have accepted into my Clan have made fine warriors." Jayfeather could imagine his leader staring proudly at Berrytail.

Ashstar snorted. "Fine warriors by ThunderClan standards, perhaps," she sneered. "But if they faced off with a true forest-born cat, I don't need StarClan to tell me what the outcome will be."

_**o0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0o0O0o**_

"Say that to my face!"

Ravenpaw watched as Berrytail sprang to his paws, his fur standing on end. She flexed her claws nervously.

"I can't believe what Ashfur has started," she muttered to herself.

"I can," a hiss sounded to her right. She turned her head to see Sparrowpaw creeping forward to crouch beside her. "Only in elder's tales are WindClan a decent Clan," he added, his voice taunt with anger.

"I wonder what happened," Ravenpaw murmured sadly.

"Onestar happened," her fellow apprentice meowed. "He broke the bonds with ThunderClan that Tallstar set down in the old forest, back when Firestar and Graystripe were new warriors. After he died, WindClan had no friendship with any other Clan. And when Ashstar took over, well, see for yourself." He licked a paw and drew it over his face.

"But I heard Ashstar was a decent deputy!"

Sparrowpaw shrugged. "ThunderClan thought Tigerstar was a decent deputy, too," he growled darkly.

Ravenpaw stared at him. "When did you get so smart?" she asked. Only then did she remember who she was talking to. This was Sparrowpaw, the eldest apprentice who went out of his way to make her life miserable.

The tom narrowed his eyes. "I heard it all in the elders den while I was cleaning their pelts for ticks." His voice became cold. "And the only reason I was in there was because of some stupid argument _you _started.

Ravenpaw was prepared to swipe the arrogance off his face when a loud caterwaul sounded from ahead. She turned away from Sparrowpaw and pricked her ears. All around her, cats were trying to balance on their hind legs to get a better view of what was going on. She followed suit, and vaguely noticed Sparrowpaw doing the same. What she saw made her gasp in fear.

The four leaders were facing off in the center of the Clans. Bramblestar and Mistystar stood side-by-side in front of their Clans, while Russetstar and Ashstar stood side-by-side in front of theirs. Their pelts were bristling with barely suppressed anger. Ravenpaw glanced up as the sky began to swirl with angry storm clouds, and felt her stomach tighten.

_Would the leaders really fight at a Gathering?_

* * *

Alright, I was seriously considering killing Jayfeather, just to tick Bramblestar off even more, but then I realized I forgot to give him an apprentice. Darn. Maybe next time, though.

Please Read and Review


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